Single lamp brooder



March 7, 1 c. L. STEBER 2,878,361

, SINGLE LAMP BROODER Filed March 26, 1957 FLOOR LINE INVENTOR.

Cg ARENCE L. STEBER ATT'YS United States Patent assignments, to The Pyle-National Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 26, 1957, Serial No. 648,726 6 Claims. (Cl. 219-45) This invention relates in general to means for heating a brooder, particularly a chicken brooder, wherein an infrared lamp is used for supplying heat in a brooder for poultry, such as baby chicks, or young animals such as brooding pigs. Specifically, the invention relates to a single lamp brooder, although multiple lamps may be used in the brooder depending upon the size of the brooder.

Infrared lamps used in brooders are operated constantly so as to create the proper heat within the brooder. The constant operation of the lamp materially increases the temperature of the lamp, particularly where the infrared lamp is screwed into its socket at the point where the electric socket member joins with the reflector about the socket. Each infrared lamp and its socket member, and the cooperating hood is suspended from the ceiling so as to effect the proper heat pattern and degree of heat to be radiated over the pattern within the brooder.

The invention consists in the provision of an infrared lamp having a reflector mounted thereover so as to reflect the heat rays downwardly toward the-floor where the chicks gather. The lamp is the conventional infrared lamp of the type referred to on the market as R-40, although any other size and shape infrared lamp may be employed. The lamp has the usual screw which screws into a threaded socket, a part of the socket body being employed to suspend the lamp from the ceiling by means of a chain or otherwise. The reflector is provided with an opening through which the socket member passes, preferably being supported to the socket member by the engagement of an annular ridge or rim on the socket member. A metal disk, having heat conducting properties, is mounted exteriorly of the sheet metal hood or reflector. The disk engages an internal annular flange at the upper end of the hood so as to dissipate heat from the socket and reflector, particularly at the point where the reflector is supported on the socket member. This disk considerably reduces the operating temperature of the socket and of the cord set, thus increasing the life of the unit.

The primary object of the present invention, therefore, consists in the provision of a metal disk member which preferably overhangs and surrounds the socket member, and contacts with the inturned flange of the hood or reflector so as to dissipate heat away from the socket member, particularly adjacent the point Where the electrical conductors are connected to the socket.

Another important object of the invention resides in the provision of a heat dissipating metal disk which is greater in diameter than the diameter of the upper end of the hood so as to overhang the top of the hood, the disk being in contact with the top of the hood and in peripheral engagement with the socket member so as to dissipate heat from the socket member to atmosphere.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent throughout the progress of the specification which follows.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a certain selected embodiment of the invention, and the views therein are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a detail perspective view of a single lamp brooder and embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical sectional view showing the manner in which the hood is secured to the socket and the manner in which the heat reflecting disk is arranged for dissipating heat from the socket member.

The particular construction herein shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention comprises a hood or reflector 1 which is provided with an internal reflecting surface 2. The hood 1 may be of any desired convenient shape for the purpose of performing the function intended, but is shown herein specifically as being in the shape of an inverted bowl. The hood is preferably bent inwardly from its enclosing wall 3 at the point indicated at 4 to provide an inwardly extending circular upper or top section 5, Fig. 2. The top 5 is provided with an annular opening 6 to receive a socket member 7 which may be made of any suitable insulating material, but is shown herein as being made of porcelain. The socket 7 is provided with an annular rib or flange 8 forming a ledge which engages the inwardly extending top 5 of the hood about the opening 6 therein. It is to be noted that the opening 6 is less in diameter than the exterior dimension of the socket, particularly at the rib 8, but the lower part of the socket member 7 is demountably secured to the remaining part of the socket member so as to permit the socket member, at an inner part thereof, to be easily passed through the opening 6, after which time the lower part of the socket member is secured home in position. The socket member 7 is provided with the usual threaded socket into which an infrared lamp 9 is threaded. The lamp 9 may be of any desired shape, but good results have been obtained by using a conventional infrared lamp which is referred to in the market as type R-40.

In view of the fact that the lamp 9 normally is in continuous operation for a long period of time, a great deal of heat is generated, particularly at the top 5 of the hood and at the socket member 7. Therefore, means are provided to dissipate the heat from the socket and from the electrical connections of the conductors with the socket. This means for dissipating heat comprises a circular disk 10 which has a central concentric opening 11 formed therein through which the socket member 7 extends in the same manner in which the socket member 7 extends through the opening 6 in the hood top 5. The opening 11 in the disk is preferably such that the metal surrounding the opening 11 will be in engagement, or practically in engagement, with the exterior of the socket member. The openings 6 and 11 in the hood 1 and disk 10, respectively, are of the same size, or substantially so. The disk 10 lies on top of the internal top flange of the hood, which top flange constitutes the top 5 of the hood. The disk 10 is considerably larger than the diameter of the top 5, and thus overhangs the enclosing wall 3 a predetermined distance, as indicated at 12. This disk 10 is preferably made of heat conducting material such as aluminum and dissipates heat rapidly. The exterior overhang 12 of the disk permits greater heat dissipation than if the disk were made smaller, the disk being as small as possible but still large enough to sufficiently dissipate the heat, whereupon the life of the unit is considerably increased.

The socket member 7 includes a metal top 13 which is properly insulated on the inside thereof and terminates at its lower end in an outwardly sloping annular 14. The flange 14 is of such a size that it will cover the openings 6 and 11 in the hood top 5 and the disk 10, respectively. A flexible washer 15 may be arranged beneath the flange 14 and on the upper surface of the disk 10 so as to make a tight joint. The metal cap part 13 may include an elongated metal cap or shield 16- whichis secured to the upper metal socket part 13, the member 16 being secured to the upper part 13 in any conventional means, such as by a screw 17. A cable or sheath 18 carries electrical conductors which lead from a source of electric supply and are electrically connected to the socket member 7 to make proper electrical connection with the lamp 9. This shield 'or cap 16 engages the sheath or cable18 tightly so that it will fit tightly and snugly against the top 19 of the metal upper part 13 of the socket member. An upstanding metal clip 20 is mounted on top of the shield or cap 16, being held in position by the screw 17 which locks the cap to the upper outer surface of the socket member part 13. This metal clip 20 is provided with an opening near its upper end to receive a chain or other member 21 so as to hang the assembled fixture.

It is desirable that the lamp be prevented from being positioned too close to thechicks, and, therefore, ametal strap 22 is disconnectably secured to the hood 1 near the lower end thereof at directly opposite points. This strap 22 may comprise a flat or round piece of metal, a flat piece being specifically shown. The strap 22 extends a predetermined distance downwardly below the bottom edge 23 of the hood. This strap or member 22, therefore, maintains the'lamp being spaced the proper distance above the floor so that-the heat from the lamp 9 will not be too close to the brooding fowls or animals. It, therefore, prevents overheating and resulting damage to the brooding fowls or animals. The strap 22 may be secured to the hood 1 in any desirable manner, such as by providing elongated holes at each end of the strap cooperating with alined holes at the lower end of the hood and then passing fastening means-, such as bolts or rivets, through such alined holes.

The invention comprises an extremely simple brooder lamp comprising few and simple parts, and permits for a great deal of heat to be dissipated at the critical heat generating parts of the socket and the hood. The device of the invention is capable of being extremely economically made.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fall fairly within the scope of the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A broader lamp comprising a reflector hood, a top for said hood and having an opening therein, a socket member to which the hood is mounted, and a relatively thin circular metal heat conducting disk mounted on top of the hood top and encircling said socket member to dissipate heat from the socket and the hood when a lamp is in said socket member and is in operation, said disk having an opening therein through which the socket member projects.

2. A brooder lamp comprising a reflector hood, atop for said hood and having an opening therein, a socket member to which the hood is mounted, and a relatively thin flat circular metal heat conducting disk mounted on top of the hood top and encircling said socket member to dissipate heat from the socket when a lamp is in said socket member and is in operation, said disk being larger than the top of said hood and extending a distance beyond the top of the hood, said disk having an opening therein through which the socket member projects.

3. A brooder lamp comprising a socket member having a screw threadedsocket, an infrared lamp screwed into said socket, a hood surrounding said socket member,

a top for said hood provided with a central openingtherein, said socket member passing through said opening, hood supporting means, supporting the hood to the socket member, conductorsleading from a sourceof electric supply and electrically connected to said socket member, and a heat conducting metal disk mounted on top of said hood top and having an opening therein through which the socket member extends, said disk having its outer marginal edge projecting a distance beyond the marginal edge of the hood top to dissipate heat from the vicinity of the socket member and the hood top, and a casing over the top of the socket member and having a marginal edge such as to overlie the opening in the disk.

4. A brooder lamp comprising a socket member having a screw threaded socket, an infrared lamp screwed into said socket, a hood surrounding said socket member, a top for said hood provided with a central opening therein, said socket member passing through said opening, hood supporting means supporting the hood to the socket member, conductors leading from a source of electric supply and electrically connected to said socket member, and a heat conducting-metal disk mounted on top of said hood top and having an opening therein through which the socket member extends, said disk having its outer marginal edge projecting adistance beyond the marginal edge of the hood top to dissipate heat from the vicinity of the socket member and the hood top, and a, casing over the top of the socket member and having a marginal edge such asto overlie the opening in the disk, said hood supporting means comprising an annular bead about the socket member upon which the hood is mounted.

5. A brooder lamp comprising a socket member having a, screw threaded socket, an infrared lamp screwed into said socket, a hood surrounding said socket member,-

a top for said hood provided with a central opening therein, said socket member passing through said opening, hood supporting means supporting the hood to the socket member, conductors leading from a source of electric supply and electrically connected to said socket member, and a heat conducting metal disk mounted on top of said hood top and having an opening therein through which the socket member extends, said disk having its outer marginal edge projecting a distance beyond the marginal edge of the hood top to dissipate heat from the vicinity of the socket member and the hood top, a casing over the top of the socket member and having a marginal edge such as to overlie the opening in the disk, and a guard member having its opposite ends fastened to this hood at diametrically opposite sides of the hood at the lower end of the hood and extending downwardly from the bottom of the hood to maintain the hood above the floor of the brooder.

6. A brooder lamp as set forth in claim 5 characterized in that the hood top is 'integral with the hood and projects' inwardly thereof, and that the inside of the hood has a reflecting surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Infra-Red Farm Equipment by AFCO, July 12, 1952, pages l-3, page 2 cited. 

